Ram Mandir Consecration Ceremony Had Naach Gaana, Billionaires But No Farmer: Rahul Gandhi Sparks Row

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday again trained his guns at the BJP, questioning the guest list of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya this year. Addressing a rally in Haryana's Hisar district before Assembly polls, Rahul claimed that there were songs and dances at the ceremony; business tycoons Ambani and Adani were invited, but the saffron party "forgot" to invite a single farmer to the ceremony. 

Rahul said, "Many celebrities were invited... they called Amitabh Bachchan, Adani, and Ambani, but they didn't invite a single labourer. Did anyone see a farmer, a labourer? Naach-gaana chal raha tha (Dance was going on)." He further claimed that the BJP lost the Faizabad constituency in the Lok Sabha polls as the residents of the city were not happy with the way the ceremony was organised. 

Rahul further claimed that President Draupadi Murmu was not invited to the consecration ceremony because she is a "tribal". The Congress leader has attacked the BJP on the issue multiple times. During his speech in Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Chhatisgarh, he questioned the absence of the poor people from the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. 

"I saw Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Ambani, and Adani, but not a single farmer or laborer. All the billionaires were there, giving long speeches, while the voices of the poor were ignored," Rahul had said. 

The BJP has strongly criticised Rahul Gandhi over his "naach gaana" remark. Party's national spokesperson, Shehzaad Poonawala, claimed that Rahul's claims make him not only an "anti-hindu" but also a "first-class liar." "From Sanatan Samapt to Sanatan Beemari hai to Hindu dharm dhokha to abusing Ram Charitmanas, the INDI alliance believes in Hindu Astha par karo chot Lena hai vote bank ka vote," he said.

BJP leader Tirath Singh Rawat has claimed that the whole of India celebrated the Ram Mandir consecration, and Rahul Gandhi lacks understanding of Indian culture. "Common people were involved in that celebration. That day was a day of celebration, and everyone was celebrating it. Everyone was immersed in the devotion of Lord Ram," he told news agency ANI.